Car
device · 1886 · Electric age
A self-propelled vehicle that needs no rails; Benz’s car is considered the first practical one.
Inventor: Ferdinand Verbiest.
What it is made of
- Internal combustion engine — has part. A classic car is driven by a combustion engine.
- Transmission (gearbox) — has part. The gearbox matches engine speed to the wheels.
- Pneumatic tyre — has part. Car wheels have pneumatic tyres.
- Suspension — has part. The suspension absorbs bumps from the road.
- Car brake — has part. Brakes stop the car.
- Ball bearing — has part. The wheel hubs turn on bearings.
- Differential — has part. The differential lets the wheels turn at different speeds in a corner.
- Rack and pinion — has part. The steering gear is a rack and pinion.
- Clutch — has part. The clutch disconnects the engine when shifting.
- Universal joint — has part. A universal joint carries rotation to the rear axle.
- Catalytic converter — has part. Modern cars have a catalytic converter.
- Steering wheel — has part. A steering wheel.
- Headlight — has part. Headlights.
- Windscreen wiper — has part. Windscreen wipers.
- Seat belt — has part. Seat belts.
- Airbag — has part. Airbags.
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS) — has part. Modern cars.
- Car body — has part. A body.
- Power steering — has part. Power steering.
- Handbrake — has part. A handbrake.
- Propeller shaft — has part. A propeller shaft.
- CV joint — has part. CV joints in front-wheel drive.
- Alternator — has part. A generator.
- Car battery — has part. A battery.
- Dashboard — has part. Gauges.
- Turn signal — has part. Turn signals.
- Rear-view mirror — has part. Mirrors.
- Car radio — has part. A car radio.
- Axle — has part. A car's wheels sit on axles.
- Shock absorber — has part. Shock absorbers stop the body bouncing on a rough road.
Principles and materials it uses
- Assembly line — uses. The Ford Model T was the first mass-produced assembly-line car.
- Steel — is made of. The body and frame are steel.
- Electric motor — uses. Electric cars run on an electric motor, and in a normal car an electric starter motor cranks the engine.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Bus — evolved into. A bus is a passenger motor vehicle.
- Truck — evolved into. A goods motor vehicle.
- Armoured car — evolved into. A car with armour.
- Steam carriage — evolved from. Self-propelled vehicles before the combustion engine were steam-powered.
- Carriage — evolved from. The first cars were “horseless carriages”.
What it is a kind of
- Land vehicle — is a kind of. A car is a land vehicle.
- Electric car — includes. An electric car is a car with electric traction.
- Hybrid car — includes. A car.
- Military jeep — includes. A car.
- Sports car — includes. A car.
- Self-driving car — includes. A self-driving car is an ordinary car driven by a computer with cameras and sensors.